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Chocolate Truffle Mystery

Page 7

by Naomi Miller


  “Sean! Gwen! What are you doing!”

  Katie's Chocolate Truffles

  Ingredients:

  8 oz semisweet baking chocolate

  ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  ½ cup heavy whipping cream

  1 tbsp butter

  1 tsp pure vanilla extract

  Instructions:

  1. Melt baking chocolate in saucepan over low heat.

  2. Stir in butter until melted.

  3. Stir in whipping cream and vanilla extract. It should resemble the texture of pudding. If needed, add a few drops of evaporated milk until desired consistency.

  4. Refrigerate mixture 15-20 minutes (or until thick enough to shape into balls).

  5. Scoop out small balls using a melon baller or spoon.

  6. Using gloves, roll around in the palms of your hands.

  7. Refrigerate truffles 15-20 minutes until firm.

  8. Choose one or more options below to finish.

  9. Store in airtight container.

  Option 1. Roll truffles in cocoa powder.

  Option 2. Roll truffles in chopped nuts.

  Option 3. Dip truffles in melted chocolate.

  — EPILOGUE —

  The next morning was colder than usual—even for February, so Travis waited for Katie in the car with the motor running. He had planned to drive on up to the house to wait for her, but when he'd dropped her off the night before, she had told him she intended to tell her parents about them dating so he thought it might be best to wait a fair distance from the house. . . especially if she had not had the chance to tell them.

  He didn't want to take a chance on getting her in trouble before they even had a chance to give their new relationship a start.

  A few minutes later, Katie appeared and Travis climbed out of the car to greet her. He could see right away that things didn't look right, so he opened her door and helped her inside without a word, waiting for her to tell him what was going on when she was ready.

  Once he had taken his seat, he turned to her, but she was busily putting on her seatbelt so he pulled out onto the road and drove slowly, trying to give her time.

  When several minutes passed and still she'd said nothing, he decided he had better ask her—before they made it all the way into town and had no more time left to talk about it. “Katie, what is it? What has happened?”

  “Ach, it's just what I feared would happen. Before going to bed, I told my parents that we had decided to court. I knew they would most likely be disappointed, but they were more upset than I expected about my not taking instruction and joining the church.”

  “What does that mean, Katie?”

  Travis waited, but she said nothing else so he pressed on, asking the question he really did not want an answer to. “What are you going to do? Are you changing your mind about us. . . about me?”

  It felt like a long time before she finally answered. “To be sure, I'm not at all certain just what to do. I still want to be your girlfriend. Perhaps if we give them time, they will be more accepting of our decision.”

  “Take all the time you need, Katie-girl. I'm not going anywhere.”

  RECIPES:

  Katie's Triple Chocolate Cake (after Chapter 3)

  Andrew's Banana Bread (after Chapter 6)

  Katie's Red Velvet Cake (after Chapter 9)

  Katie's Cream Cheese Frosting (after Chapter 9)

  Katie's Chocolate Truffles (after Chapter 12)

  TURN THE PAGE

  FOR EXCLUSIVE

  BONUS CONTENT

  

  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  WARNING : SPOILERS AHEAD!

  1) There are lots of changes at the bakery. Katie has 2 new co-workers and Freida is only working part time. How will this affect the bakery? How important is it to be a good employee? How important is it to be a good supervisor/boss?

  2) Travis and Katie bump into each other. Then Travis is reminded of his feelings for Katie. Should he ask Katie out on a date or let it go because of her church affiliations? How important is it to date someone who worships the same way you do?

  3) Mrs. Simpkins came home from her vacation married to Mr. O'Neal Do you think they rushed into marriage? Could this affect their relationship? Do you think they were ready for marriage?

  4) Freida and Thomas married in the last story. Why do you think she stopped working full time at the bakery? Should Freida quit working and make a home for Thomas? Do you think marriages would be stronger if women didn't work outside the home? Do you think the Amish idea of the wife staying home would work for Englischers?

  5) Bella is one of Katie's new co-workers. Do you think it's strange that no one knows anything about her? Why would she be so mysterious about her past? Were you surprised to find that she's expecting a baby? What do you think will happen in the next few months? Where is the father? Why do you think she left home?

  6) In this story, Sean and his uncle talk about marriage. Do you think Sean is ready for marriage? Do you think his friendship with Gwen is growing towards a dating-type relationship? Is Sean too old to date Gwen? Is Gwen ready to date someone much older? What age is appropriate for dating?

  7) In the last story, Katie expected to join the church and marry someone who belonged to the church. Freida thought she should give Travis a chance... Why do you think she changed her mind? Would you change your faith for someone else? Should you?

  AUTHOR LINKS

  WEBSITE: https://naomimillerauthor.com

  NEWSLETTER SIGN UP: http://eepurl.com/bPdjGn

  FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/NaomiMillerAuthor

  TWITTER: https://twitter.com/AuthorNaomi

  INSTAGRAM: https://twitter.com/AuthorNaomi

  PINTEREST: http://www.pinterest.com/authornaomi

  Acknowledgments

  To God be the glory! HE is THE AUTHOR of my life! God gives me the inspiration for each and every book... books of family, faith, forgiveness, and grace...

  When God placed it on my heart to write a light-hearted mystery series, I’m glad I obeyed.

  Thanks to my daughter Rachel, who not only designs my covers, memes, posters (well, you get the picture), but is also an amazing author and inspirational speaker.

  Rachel, I couldn’t have done it without you!

  A big THANK YOU goes out to Pam, my dear friend and founder of S&G Publishing. If not for Pam, I might never have been published!

  A huge THANK YOU to my beta readers. They seem to change with each book, but I've never been without them. They work hard and I truly appreciate each and every one of them.

  Last, but by no means least, thank you to my awesome readers, who do so much to encourage me and continue make this series a huge success!

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Naomi Miller mixes up a batch of intrigue, sprinkled with Amish, Mennonite, and English characters, adding a pinch of mystery—and a dash of romance!

  Naomi works full time as an author, blogger and inspirational speaker. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) organization.

  When she’s not working diligently to finish the next novel in her Sweet Shop Mystery series, Naomi tries to make time for attending workshops, writing conferences and other author events. Whenever time permits, Naomi can be found in one of two favorite places—the beach and the mountains.

  Naomi’s day is spent focusing on her writing, editing, and blogging about her experiences. Naomi loves traveling with her family, singing inspirational/gospel music, taking a daily walk, and witnessing to others of the amazing grace of Jesus Christ.

  ABOUT THE PUBLISHER

  Christian Publishing for HIS GLORY

  S&G Publishing offers books with messages that honor Jesus Christ to the world! S&G works with Christian authors to bring you the best in “inspirational” fiction and non-fiction.

  S&G is proud to publish a variety of Christian fiction genres:

  inspirational romance

  young reader

  young
adult

  speculative

  historical

  suspense

  Check out our website at

  sgpublish.com

 

 

 


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